Facsimile system



April 14, 1931- R. H. RANGER FACSIMILE SYSTEM Filed May 3. 1929 INVENTOR R.H. RANGER ATTORNEY P r se in canc r:

Patented Apr. 14, 1931 anes? entree stares Parana series RTflWARD HOWE-AND RIF-.Il'G-IZBL, CH? NEVJARK, I'TEVI JERSEY, ASSIG-NOR TO RADIO COR- PORATION OF AMERICA, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE FACSIMILE Application filed May a, 1929. Serial 1%., 360,064.

The present invention relates to facsimile systems and the like, and is particularly directed to a facsimlle system of what 1 have termed a combined or universal type.

By the term combined or universal type, i intend to include types of facsimile systerns wherein a picture may be built up in a line for line manner, or whereina picture by making suitable adjustment to the transmitting or receiving apparatus may be built up in a woven manner by crossing and recrossing the lines of scanning and reproducing so as to produce atthe receiver end of the system a picture record which more closely approximates the well known and matter, checks, fin er prints, photographs, financial statements, newspaper articles, ad-

vertisements, fashion plates, magazine articles, moving pictures and films, as well as the sound records thereon, and the like.

As one of theprimary objects of my invention, I have sought to develop a method and means by which a system for trans mitting and receiving pictures may be readily changed from the line for line type of scanning anc reproducing into a cross line or woven type of scanning and reproducing machine. 7

As a still further object of my invention, I have sought to provide a picture transmitting and receiving system wherein the transmitting and receiving apparatus may i V V vention Wlll become apparent and at once suggest themselves to those skilled in the be readilyadapted to either a single channel or multiplex channel transmitting and receiving system so that the entire message which is to be transmitted and received may be transmitted over a single channel of communication or. over a plurality of channels of communication. ,Systemsfor transmitting message over a single channel of communication so far as the channelling d areknown in theart to which the invention relates, and a system for transmitting and receiving pictures and the like over a plurality of independent channels such as are suitable for multiplex communication systems have been shown and claimed in connection with my copending applications, Serial Nos. 360,066 and 360,068, both of which were filed on May 3, 1929, wherein the first ofthe said applications relates to an analyzing system for -multiplex transmission of pictures and the like, and the second relates to a reproducing system for pictures and the like.

Still a further object of my'invention is to provide a method and means by which a picture carrying drum suitable for carrying the picture tobe transmitted from the transmitting mechanism or the record upon which the picture is recorded at the receiving mechanism may be advanced with respect to the scanning or reproducing system at different rates and make either a portion of a completerevolution for each longitudinal movement of the scanning or "reproducing system with respect thereto or i may make slightly more than a complete revolution for a similar movement of the scanning or reproducing mechanism, de-

vending of course u on the t e of trans.

mission, as above outlined.

Still other objects of my invention are to provide, in a manner to be hereinafter set forth and described, a system for trans mitting and receiving pictures and the like which is relatively simple in its construction and arrangement of parts, a system which is compact, conveniently installed, easily operated, eflicient in its use and which may be built at a minimum of'expense.

Still other and ancillary objects of my nart to which the invention relates by making reference to the accompanying drawing wherein the single figure thereof illustrates in a more or less conventional manner the are attained.

To refer now more particularly to the d awinazl have sho n a Pictureca ying means by which the above outlined objects drum 1 which may be either the drum of the transmitting or the receiving machine as being carried at one end by an end supporting member 3 which is fastened and secured to abase member 5 in any appropriate and,

desired manner. Also, extending parallelly to the picture carrying drum 1, I have provided a rotating shaft 7 upon which an end less spiral 9 has been cut for the purpose of carrying either a scanning or reproducing system in a longitudinal manner back and forth with respect to the drum.

lVhile the scanning and reproducing systems have not been shown, this has been omitted so as to more clearly and definitely illustrate the principles involved by my invention, and for details as to the motion of the scanning or reproducing systems back and forth longitudinally with respect to the shaft 7, reference may be had to my copenning application, Serial No. 245,349, filed January 9, 1928, disclosing what I have termed a photoradioscope wherein a hot air jet is carried back and forth longitudinally with respect to a recording drum surface and transversely with respect to a paper feed and has been shown as moved in this manner by means of a rotating shaft provided'with a similar endless spiral as has'been shown by the spiral 9. Similarly, my copending applications, Serial Nos. 235; 131 and 245,350, filed respectively November 25, 1927, and January 9, 1928 disclose respectively scanning and reproducing systems carried back and forth loneitudinall with respect to a similar rotating shaft as shown by the shaft 7, and my copending applications, Serial Nos. 321,821, 360,066,

and 360,068, filed November 26, 1928, May 1 3,1929, and May 3, 1929, disclose respectively an illumination system for illuminating a picture carrying drum, a multiplex analyzing system, and a multiplex reproducing system for use in conjunction with this type of recording apparatus. It should, therefore,vbe understood that I may provide any type of suitable scanning or reproducing means and support the same upon the shaft 7 so that by rotational movement imparted thereto, so as to rotate the same in the direction shown by the arrow, the analyzing or reproducing system may be moved back and forth thereon in the direction shown by the arrows .so as to either illuminate apicture surface carried by the drum 1 or to subject the recording surface carried by the drum 1 to either light-in the case of a light sensitive recording system or heat in the case of @a heat sensitive recording medium supported by the drum 1. In such a case, the

illumination or reproducing sys'tem'is to be supported and carried upon the supporting plate 11 carried within the guide slots 13 and '15 so as to move in a fixed path of travel back and forth longitudinally on the shaft 7.

The guide slots 13 and 15 provided for guiding the analyzing or reproducing system carried upon the supporting plate member 11 are preferably mounted in supporting members 17 which are also carried upon and supported from the base member 5 in any suitable and desired manner. If desired, I may provide on the supporting plate 11 suitable rollers for hearing in the slot-ted guide strips 13 and 15 so as to reduce the amount of friction provided by a long1- tudinal movement of the supporting plate imparted thereto by the rotation of the rotating shaft 7.

The rotating shaft 7 is turned from any suitable source of rotational movement, and extending out from the end of the shaft which is supported in the supporting member 17,1 have provided a pair of gears 19 and 21 respectively, of which, 19 is an ordinary beveled pinion and 21 is the usual type of worm gear. Both of these gears cooperate to drive the picture or record carrying drum, ina manner to be'hereinafter set forth and described.

For convenience of description, I will describe now the operation or rotation of the picture carrying drum 1 as applied to a line for line scanning or reproducing picture transmitting and receiving process. By the term line for line, of course, I mean that each line of the picture is adjacent to each other line and extends in a direction substantially longitudinal with respect to a record surface carried upon the drum memher 1. As shown, the worm gear 21 is in engagement with a pinion 23 carried upon a shaft 25 provided with collars '27' for the purpose of securely holding the pinion on the end of the shaft. As the shaft 7 turns and imparts rotational movement to the worm gear, the pinion 23is correspondingly turned and turns therefrom a second pinion 29 ofa smaller size than the pinion 23, which is mounted adjacent the last named pinion. As the pinion 29 is rotated, it meshes with still another pinion 31 which is secured to the shaft 33 in any desired and appropriate manner, for example, by a set screw, so that it will now be seen that rotational movement has been imparted to the shaft 33 due to the rotation of the spindle 7.

' The shaft 33 extends through a housing an inch of circumferential movement, with respect to each longitudinal movement of shaft and arranged to then drive still another pinion carried upon the endof the shaft 13 which isv preferablymounted and supported by bearing surfaces 45 and 4:7, which may be mounted and secured upon the end support plate 3' in any appropriate and desired manner. Due to the fact that the drive imparted to the shaft 39 from the spindle 7 does not cause any appreciable movement of the differential, the worm gear 19' attached to the shaft 43, and which is in engagement with the large gear 51, serves for the purpose of slowly rotating the gear 51 and thereby turning the drum 1 upon its shaft 53 in any appropriate and desired manner. The rate of turning of theshaft in conjunction with a line for line scanning should be a rate equal and corresponding to the line advance for a single line of the picture, and, for example, supposing that there are eighty linesof scanning to the inchand a single communication channel is used, the amount of rotation of the drum 1 imparted thereto from the turning of the Worm and corresponding turning of the gear 51 will be one-eightieth of an inch.

If, however, the system is changed from a s ngle channel communication systemto a multiplex channel ofcommumcation, and,

for example, the number of channels is'increased to .four, the line advance should be correspondingly increased for each longitudinal movement of the analyzing or reproducing system on the shaft 7. Therefore, I have provided. within the housing 35 the usual typeof gear shift for increasing the speed of rotation of the. shaft 13, and this increased speed may conveniently be provided by merely shifting the gear lever 55 to a different position in the gear shift slot 57 so asto make the. position of the gear shift leverjor pin 55 correspond in position to the, number of channels being used in thecommunication system 'Thus,it may be seen that Lhaveprovided a system wherein the picture may be tran mitted or r'eceivedin a line for linemanner by either transmitting and reproducingthe p cture oneline at a tlme or by a plurality of lines at a time, and, for example, supposing that the gear shift lever or pin .55 is arrangedin the position as shown, the system may, for example, be changed into a four channel multiplex communication system, and supposing that the above named example of eighty lines per inch was the amount of detail desiredand required in the transmitted and received picture with four channels in the communication system, the drum 1 would have four-eightieths of the scanning or reproducing system,imparted thereto, and for a similar increase or decrease n the number of channels, the

line advance of the picture drum would be correspondingly changed. I

To describe now the operation of the system when applied to a picture which is built upon a shaft (not shown) extending through the housing member 35 and will then release a locking pin 61 so that the gear 59 may be free to turn when rotational" movement is imparted thereto from a rotation of the pinion 19 carried upon'the end of the shaft 7. It will thus be seen that as the gear-or pinion 59 is rotated, the shaft 89 carrying the differential 41 will be constantly turned and thus the speed of the drum member 1 will be substantially increased over the speed imparted thereto by the rotation of the pinions23, 29 and 31. By appropriately designingthe gears, it will'readily be seen when the beveled pinions 19 and 59 are placed into engagement'that motion maybe imparted to the drum 1" in such amanner that during the time the carriage for either analyzing or reproducing the picture is'carried from one end of the shaft 7 to the other and back by'reason of the support member 11 therefor sliding in the guides 13 and 15 that the drum may be made to turn a complete revolution plus an amount equal to a single line width of the picture," assuming the system to be applied'to a single channel transmitting and receiving system.

Thus, at the time when the carriage supported by the support plate 11 moves in the'opposite direction longitudinally of the shaft 7 upon reaching the end'63'of the 'spiral track that a line will be traced diagonally back acros'sthe picture'surface carried by the druml, but spaced apart from the previou'slijne of scanning or reproducing by an amount equal to the width of a single line'of the picture. As the carriage carrying the scanning or reproducing system reaches the opposite end of the shaft 7 fromthat shown,the"path of scanning or reproducing will be automatically changed, due

and rotary motion is imparted to the drum 1 by reason of the shaft 43 turning the worm gear 49 and the gear 51, the scanning or reproducing action is continued and each successive line is spaced at the same predetermined distance from the preceding line, and scans or reproducesalong parallel paths.

Now, where it is desired to increase the number of paths of scanning or reproducing of the picture in a manner similar to that above described in connection with the parallel line of scanning, the position of the gear shift lever in the slots 57 'may be changed so that the drum 1 may be rotated a complete revolution plus an amount equal to the number of lines forming a multiplex system. Thus, supposing that four channels are utilized in the multiplex communication system, for each longitudinal movement of the carriage containing the scanning or analyzing system longitudinal with respect to the drum 1, the drum will be turned through one complete revolution plus an amount equal to four lines of scanning or reproducing. 7

For the purpose of framing the picture or adjusting the position of the drum 1 carrying thepicture to be transmitted or the record'surface on which the picture is to be received, I have provided a' means whereby the drum may be rotated manually in one direction. I have provided for this system,

a hand wheel which is securely fastened to the shaft 53 supporting the drum 1 and supported from the gear 51 by any convenient and desired means, such as a pin 67, I have provided a pawl 69 which is adapted to engage with a ratchet wheel 71. The ratchet wheel 71 is also rigidly mounted withthe shaft 53, and the pawl 69 rested thereon is spring pressed by means of a spring or other convenient form of arrangement 73. By turning the hand wheel 65 in a clockwise direction, as shown, the drum 1 maybe rotated in this direction but the pawl engaging with the ratchetprevents turning the drum in the opposite direction.

While I have not herein shown or illustrated any means by which a picture to be transmitted or a record surface for recording a received picture may be fastened upon the drum 1, it is to be understood that I may provide any convenient and suitable type of supporting means, and, if desired,

I may feed the paper or picture on to they drum 1 by a system similar to that disclosed and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 360,065, filed May 3,1929, and also I mayprovide a gripping means for securely gripping the picture-or record surface, as shown, described, and claimed in the last named copending application.

In connection with line for line scanning, I may use a continuous feed paper system, where desired, but with a 45 scanning system it is preferable to cut a recording or picture sheet andfeed this'upon therecording drum 1 in the manner outlined in my copending application, Serial No. 360,065,

allel thereto arrange a similar driving spindle 7, provided with a pair of endless spiral driving tracks 9 (one being for guiding the motion of the analyzing or reproducmg system associated with each drum). Thus, by using a duplex transmitting or receiving system, it will appear that I may transmit 'or receive two like or different pictures upon the same machine. In doing this, I transmit or receive each picture in a sequential manner, that is, the picture on one drum may be transmitted or received upon each stroke of the analyzing or reproducing carriage from left to right, for example, on shaft 7, and the other picture may be transmitted or received during each period of right to left travel of the second analyzing or reproducing system carried to be driven from shaft 7. Therefore, each separate picture isanalyzed or reproduced only in one direction.

Further, by an appropriate arrangement of contact'points, I may arrange a system whereby an alarm circuit is. closed at each path of travel of the carriage or supporting plate 11 so that an indication of the end of transmission or reception may be had. Such a system has been claimed and describedby my copending application Serial No. 360,063, filed May 3, 1929. V

Various modifications from those. herein suggested and illustrated in the present disclosure will at once suggest themselves and become apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention is directed, and I, therefore, believe myself to be entitled to make any and all modifications which fall fairly within the spirit andscope of the invention'as set forth in the hereinafter appended. claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following:

1. In a picture transmitting and receiving system, a support surface for the transmitted or received pictures, 'means for advancing a scanning system longitudinally with respect to said support'means, and means for changing the path traced by said scanningsystem from parallel scanning to cross-screen scanning and vice versa.

2. A picture analyzing and reproducing system including a support surface for carrying a picture record, means for moving a scanning system longitudinally with re spect to said support surface, means for rotatmg sald record carrying surface at a rate commensurate wlth the type of scan- 'ning, and means for varying the speed of rotation of said support surface and changing the speed in proportion to the t me re quired for the scanning system to longitudinally traverse the said support surface.

3. A picture recording system including a support surface for a picture, means for rotating said support surface, a scanning system adjacent said support surface, means for moving said scanning system longitudinally with respect to said support surface, means for controlling the rate of rotation of said support surface in accordance with the time of travel of said scanning system longitudinally thereof, and means for changing the path traced by said scanning system over said support surface between parallel scanning and cross scanning.

4. In a picture reproducing system, a picture carrying drum, a scanning system adjacent to said drum, means for moving said scanning system back and forth longitudinally with respect to said drum, means for rotating said drum a predetermined,

amount for each longitudinal travel of said scanning system with respect thereto, and means for changing the speed of rotation of said drum from an amount equal to the line width of a single line of the picture to a complete turn of the drum plus an amount equal to the line width of a single picture for each complete longitudinal motion of the said scanning system back and forth with respect to said drum.

5. In a picture reproducing system, a record carrying drum, a scanning system, means for moving the said scanning system back and forth longitudinally with respect to said drum, means for advancing said drum carrying said record surface a predetermined amount for each longitudinal travel of said scanning system with respect thereto, and means for varying the amount of rotation of said drum in accordance with the number of paths of scanning thereon.

6. In a multiplex facsimile reproducing system, a record carrying drum, means for moving a scanning system longitudinally with respect thereto, means for varying the amount of rotation of said drum with respect to each longitudinal motion of said.

scanning means with respect thereto in accordance with the number of channels included in the multiplex system, and means for changing the path of travel traced by said scanning system with respect to said drum between parallel scanning and'cross scanning in accordance with the amount of rotation imparted to said drum for each longitudinal movement of the said scanning system,

7. In a picture reproducing system, a

record carrying drum, a scannmg systemassociated therewith, means for moving the scanning system longitudinally in a reciproeating manner with respect to said drum,

'means for advancing the said drum in a in claim 7, including, in addition, means for increasin the amount of rotation of. said drum for each longitudinal travel of the said scanning system with respect thereto byan amount equal to the number of channels in a multiplex communication system.

9. In a picture transmitting and receiving system having a support surface for the transmitted or receiving picture, and a scanning system for analyzing the picture,

means for producing a relative motion between the scanning system and the picture supporting'means, and means for changing the path traced by said scanning system relative to the picture supporting means from parallel scanning to cross-screen scanning and vice versa.

10. In a picture. reproducing system having a record carrying drum and associated scanning system, means for producing a' relative motion betweensaid record carry-c ing drum and said scanmng system so that the scanning system moves longitudinally with respect to the record carrying drum during the rotation of the drum, and means for controlling the relative motion between said drum and said scanning system for changing the path traced by said scanning system from parallel scanning to crossscreen scanning and vice versa.

RICHARD HOWLAND RANGER. 

